Green Flame
by morgana witch
Summary: The Evans family adopts two baby girls, and soon finds out that they are quite different from how they appeared at first.


**_Prologue_**  
It was five minutes before midnight when a shadowy figure emerged from the ally next to the church. As she stepped out into the moonlight, it became apparent that she was holding an old cardboard box with a sagging bottom and tattered edges. The woman limped up the stone church steps. When she reached the top, she set down the box at the door, and lay down next to it. The street was silent except for the hoot of an owl before it flew off. As the church bells rang twelve times, she died.  
  
Sara Evans sang as she watered her garden. It was a beautiful, sunny, warm day. Sara loved to sing. She always sang when she was happy, and whenever she sang she became happy. Her singing made others happy too. Once a week she picked flowers from her garden, and went to a local nursing home to sing and decorate the residents' rooms with flowers. They always looked forward to her coming, and she always looked forward to seeing them. Sara enjoyed making people happy, especially children. Since she and her husband, William, didn't have any kids of their own, she often visited the orphanage and played with the kids there.  
A mother walked down the street in front of the Evans' house pushing a stroller with a little girl. Her two older children walked along beside her talking and laughing. The group waved to Sara, who waved back.  
"Hi!" called the mother. "It's such a nice day today."  
"It's gorgeous," Sara answered, "I don't think I've ever seen the sky so blue."  
"Oh, I know! It looks like somebody just painted it on."  
The family walked off and left Sara to her gardening. She finished watering the flowers, and cut some to put in a vase on the kitchen table. When she got inside William was sitting at the table reading a newspaper.  
"Hey, Will! I brought some flowers for the table."  
"Oh they're lovely," he told her, "but why don't you cut a new kind sometime? You've got so many, but you always bring in these."  
"I know," Sara sighed, "but lilies and petunias have always been my favorites. They're the most beautiful flowers in the world."  
"All right then, whatever you want."  
"Thanks."  
William put down his paper and said "I know you've just been outside for a while, but it's such a nice day, so let's get some drinks and sit outside."  
"Sure," replied Sara.  
William and Sara poured two glasses of iced tea, and then went outside to sit on the porch. They sat down on the swinging loveseat, and enjoyed their drinks in the sun. Sara's thoughts drifted back to the family she'd seen earlier walking down the street.  
"This is a beautiful day, but it would be nicer if we had someone to share it with," she commented to Will.  
"You know we can't..." Will's voice drifted off. Sara and Will had wanted kids for a long time, but they knew they couldn't have any. Sara's mom had a genetic disease that Sara had long forgotten the name of, because she didn't like to think about it. Her mother had trouble walking and breathing. She had died shortly after Sara married William. Although Sara hadn't inherited the disease, the doctors said that she still had the gene, and could therefore pass it on to her children.  
"Yes," said Sara slowly, "but I've been thinking that maybe it's time for us to adopt."  
"We've discussed this Sara," said William angrily, "and decided against it. It wouldn't be the same. They wouldn't be _our_ kids."  
"I know, but still. We would be helping children by giving them the home and love they need. You know how much I love helping people and making them happy. Please consider adoption again! _Please_, Will!"  
"Uh...what about foster care? You could help people and have kids around the house that way. But you wouldn't have to keep them forever. You wouldn't have to call them your kids when they aren't."  
"I'd treat them as if they were my own, feel as though they were my own, and be too sad to give them up. That wouldn't work."  
"Okay, but I'm still not going to adopt," William said firmly.  
"I won't argue with you, but I'm going to the orphanage at the church tomorrow. Just to play with the kids and read to them like I always do. I'd like you to come with me."  
"I told you," said Will angrily.  
"Not to consider adoption or anything," said Sara quickly. "I just want you to meet the kids."  
"Fine," agreed Will suspiciously.  
They finished their iced tea and went back inside. Sara was excited and couldn't wait for the next day's trip to the orphanage. She had a good feeling about it.


End file.
